Special Education Needs

Local Offer: Early Years Settings

The Setting

Inskip Pre-school is an OFSTED Outstanding setting 2008/2009 and 2012/2013.

We are open term time only. Our opening hours are 8.30a.m. until 4.00p.m. weekdays. We are Registered for 40 children who attend on a full or part time basis. We cater for children from the age of 2 – 5.

The main room is used for the ten areas of continuous provision with a smaller room used for quieter activities and a separate office. Children have access to an enclosed outdoor play area at the front which is block paved with wheelchair access to the front door and a large area to the rear which is mostly grassed and a woodland area. This rear outside space includes a dry river bed, large natural climbing frame, a construction area, digging site, outdoor kitchen, log pile, sensory area, sand pit, quiet area and planting area.

Our experienced staff are mature and caring and as we are a small setting we work very closely as a team. Some of us have worked together for over 15 years which ensure continuity for the children. We use a key person system whereby a member of staff is responsible for their key children. They observe, assess and plan for the individual child working closely with parents. Vulnerable children are identified and their individual needs are met.

The three partners are responsible for the business aspect of the setting. The manager, 1st deputy manager and administrator are the partners. The manager is responsible overall for the setting and staff with the support of 2 deputies. We currently have, including the partners, seven part time qualified staff who hold either NNEB or NVQ level 3 in child care, one level 2 and an administrator. The manager is Parent Inclusion Coordinator (PICO)and Child Protection and Safeguarding Officer she is also responsible for looked after children. The 1st deputy manager is Special Educational needs Coordinator (SENCO), Equality named coordinator (ENCO), deputy PICO, deputy Child Protection and Safeguarding Officer and Behaviour Management Coordinator. The second deputy is deputy SENCO, and Deputy Behaviour Management. The partners are responsible for Health and Safety.

Accessibility and Inclusion

The building

Inskip Pre-School is privately owned by three partners and has been registered since August 2012. The setting is situated in a rural area, in a pre-war ‘Nissan hut’ which was fully refurbished in 2009 by the present owners (F.Brown) The setting is a single story unit and is divided into three rooms plus a separate kitchen and toilet area.

The building is wheelchair accessible from all entrances and exits. There is a large car park to the front of the property which allows easy access to the building. There is a porch to the front of the building and accessed by ringing a doorbell.

There are 3 children’s toilets and one adult toilet which can be accessed by wheelchair. There are 3 hand wash basins at children’s height and one which is accessible by wheelchair. There are baby changing facilities and storage for nappy boxes.

The rooms are lit with natural day light and there are there are enclosed strip lights in all rooms. With exception to the accessible toilet doors all doors are standard size. The doors to the kitchen and toilet area are solid with 3 small glass panes and the kitchen door has a return mechanism. Doors to the other two rooms and the front doors are glazed to British safety standards. The flooring is non-slip tiles in the toilet area, non-slip wood effect vinyl in the main room and carpet tiles in the small room and office. The walls and painted surfaces are painted cream.

Topical local parent’s information is displayed in the porch and there are parent’s information boards in the children’s cloakroom area. These contain medium term planning information, profiles of the staff, information about illnesses and diseases and other information about the setting. The setting’s policies are available on a parent’s literature stand together with library books for the children and information books and CD’s for parents. Some of these books and CD’s are available in different languages. If our parents require information in large print or electronically we would endeavour to accommodate them.

The Rooms

All the rooms are lit with natural daylight and concealed strip lights, the walls are cream coloured, the windows have Venetian blinds. All display boards except adult’s are mounted at child height.

The main room

Ten areas of continuous provision are available for children to access at all times. These areas are clearly defined and are identifiable with photographs and signs. Resources are stored at child’s height, in see through boxes and photographs to show the contents. There are child height tables and chairs. There is a carpeted area for circle time/reading area. We have a bank of computers which children can access with ease. All resources are appropriate for children aged 2-5. There is a reception desk with children’s self registration and a cloakroom area. Children register with their photographs and place them on a peg of their choice. There is storage for lunch boxes under the pegs. Parent’s information board, literature stand, children’s display board, children’s library are in this area. All the furniture is freestanding so can be moved and rearranged to make space for specialist equipment or to ensure the rooms are accessible for children using walkers or wheelchairs.

The small room

This room lends itself to small/cohort group activities. The acoustics in this room are good and it’s suitable for quiet activities. It has a small bookcase, rugs, cushions, a snuggle basket, a comfy sofa with cushions, a sensory area and a dark den. There is a storage room with a locked glazed door.

The Outdoors

To the front of the building is a block paved area. This is suitable for children using ‘ride on’ toys. There is a quiet area with a house, a mark making area and a sand tray. There are wooden benches for seating. There are a variety of construction resources stored in boxes and bins. All the resources are freestanding and can be moved to accommodate walkers or wheelchair users.

To the rear of the building is a large grassed area and a gate into a woodland area. The grassed area is uneven and has a hill in the middle. There are clearly defined areas, a large sandpit at floor level with seating at the edges, a construction area with stones and a paved front, a sensory area with a rockery planted with herbs and a sound tree, a large climbing frame with two sets of steps a walk over bridge and a slide, a quiet area with hay bales for seating, a large boat, a dry river bed which is uneven, a small shed encompassing an outdoor kitchen, a mud digging area, a raised bed for planting, at child height and a plastic green house. The woodland is reached by a latched gate. There are saplings, a clearly defined grass path, a fire pit with log seating around it and log piles for mini beasts. There is a large shed for storage. Resources can be accessed and changed on a daily basis to meet children’s needs.

Identification and Early Intervention

Each child is treated as an individual. Staff take into account information given by parents as a starting point to understand what the child already knows, (Getting to Know Me) booklet. Two year old progress checks are completed by staff, parental input is added and signed by their parent this is sent to the child’s health visitor together with our EYFS tracker. Formative assessments are ongoing, as well as verbally sharing assessments we use our daily planning sheets, ‘post its’, learning journey sheets, photographs and children’s evidence of activities. Parents also contribute to formative assessments verbally on a daily basis, and other paperwork sent home by their child’s key person. When the child’s individual aims have been offered, addressed, attempted or achieved then key person highlights this on the designated sheet. Our summative assessments are the characteristics of learning sheet, our EYFS tracker and our transitional document. Staff take part in ‘weekly catch up’ meetings with team members (one meeting on a Wed, one on a Thurs) where they take into account every child’s individual aims and then create small cohort groups or work 1:1 to cover these aims. This is also a time for staff to come together to discuss with others any concerns they may have regarding any child or the environment to ensure the children’ health and well being is taken into account. Following this the manager and 1st deputy manager meet up weekly to collate any SEN or additional needs or changes to the setting, whether inside or outside, which may have arisen from these meetings. These weekly ‘catch up’ meetings ensure that key persons are always monitoring and evaluating children’s learning and development and can deal with any additional needs as soon as possible. Any concerns are shared with parents.

Some children may attend more than one setting. We ensure that we share information with other settings with a ‘sharing information book’ which is used by both settings and values parent’s input. The information is used to further inform planning and the child’s development.

For some children the next steps may involve the key person targeting a specific area of development and planning additional opportunities for the child to have experiences designed to support the area of learning and development identified. This enhancement and targeting links to the wave two interventions identified within our setting’s provision mapping. This would then be reviewed to see how the child has progressed and whether or not additional steps need to be taken to support the child’s progress and development.

For other children the next step may also include developing a Targeted Learning Plan where specific aims are developed with parents to support the child’s development. We may also discuss with parents whether it would be appropriate to refer their child to other services such as speech and language therapy, this would require parental consent. Another next step may be to ask the local authority SEN Inclusion Teacher to visit the child in the setting to provide some additional advice and guidance to practitioners to support them in meeting the needs of the child. This visit is called a ‘Request for Guidance’ and can only be undertaken with parental consent.

We work closely with parents and value their opinions which are included in planning for the individual child. Our setting also has in place a provision mapping document which show that we take into account whole group activities, cohort activities on our daily plans and individual activities meeting the needs of all children. Provision mapping identifies what we provide for all children (wave one), for children who require a little bit of extra input in a specific area (wave two) and children who require more specialised or intensive intervention (wave three). Our provision mapping is available in setting. Our Special Educational Needs Policy supports all children with additional needs and can be accessed at any time together with our provision mapping within the setting.

Early Years Pupil Premium

The EYPP is additional funding that the Government is making available for early years settings to improve the education we provide for disadvantaged three and four year olds.

The EYPP is an additional 0.53 per hour per eligible child, which equates to £302.10 per year if a child takes up their full 570 hours free early education entitlement.

Teaching and Learning Part 1

Practitioners and Practice

The setting works within the framework of the EYFS. The rooms are resourced with age appropriate, safe resources and address the needs of the individual child. Practitioners use Development Matters and the Statutory Guidance for the EYFS to plan provision and activities for the children in their care. The EYFS identifies three prime areas of learning and development and four specific areas of learning and development.

Staff observe children in all areas of development in different ways i.e. 2 year old development checks, photos, ‘post it’s’, both on entry and throughout their time at pre-school. Staff take into account what ‘they already know and can do’, cultural differences, those who achieve beyond what is expected and how often the child attends. This evidence is then used by the key workers to note the stages of development and next steps to be taken. They also record the child’s ‘well being and involvement’ noting on a score of 1-5 how well the child is settled and taking part in activities.

Activities and provision are adapted to suit the children’s individual needs. Practitioners differentiate the activities to meet the needs of the children in their key group. For some children a greater level of differentiation is required because they have additional or special educational needs. Practitioners are sensitive to the developmental needs of the children in their care and when they are differentiating activities and provision they have this in mind so that all children are able to access the setting in a way that is appropriate to their needs.

All children have a key person. It is the role of the key person to liaise closely with the child’s parents. It is also the role of the key person to help parents to develop ways in which they can support their child’s learning at home. Children have a Learning Journey Folder in which all their achievements are recorded. This is available to parents at all times and is sent home on a ‘termly’ basis together with ‘What my child can do and what I’d like them to do next’. This allows parents to be involved in the development and planning of activities for their child.

We are a small setting and get to know our parents very well through chatting and sharing information on a daily basis. We share their child’s achievements and support further development at home with liaison letters. We further support our parents with information sharing library which includes CD’s, addressing concerns a parent may have. We have a variety of resource boxes and cuddly toys which are taken home to further their child’s development and we invite feedback from the parents. We have PSED book library, we offer these books with an activity and guidance for parents with a particular concern. They are shared at home with the child. Again we ask for feedback to further develop this resource.

Parent information boards also display information about elements of early learning development and how this can be supported at home. There are also leaflets available that identify local groups and resources available to parents of young children in the area. Parents are able to speak to their child’s key person or the manager/deputy manager at any time if they would like further information or advice about supporting learning at home.

Children express their preferences on a daily basis and this is taken into account by the child’s key person and included in their individual planning. Children’s likes and dislikes are also recorded on the termly ‘What I can do and what I’d like to do next’ form.

Teaching and Learning Part 2

Provision & Resources

Children are provided with resources that are developmentally appropriate. We ensure that the resources available are appropriate so that children who are developing more slowly or more quickly can access resources suitable to their stage of learning and development. Our observations, assessments and planning help to identify which resources will support the child’s learning and development. We also use our provision mapping to help us to identify some of the resources and activities available to support children’s needs. Where children need resources that aren’t usually available in our setting we endeavour to purchase them. We liaise with parents and outside professionals to ensure resources are appropriate for the needs of the child. If a child’s special educational needs are such that they require support staff then we will employ another member of staff with SEN funding or AIS package.

We access outside agency’s support as and when appropriate e.g. if we have a concern about a child’s speech development we will liaise with the parent and refer the child to a speech and language therapist. All practitioners are encouraged to work with external professionals some of whom may visit children in the setting and this will be supported by the SENCO and/or the manager/ deputy manager. We liaise closely with a local Children’s Centre.
In our setting we plan trips and outings, all children are included in these. We undertake risk assessments of the places we intend to visit and consider the needs of the children who will be visiting. We make reasonable adjustments when planning trips and outings to ensure the places we visit are accessible and meet the needs of the children. We take into account the parent’s views and wishes when planning these visits.

Transitions

After initial registration the parents and child are invited to our ‘stay and play’ session. This is approximately for one hour allowing the child to become familiar with the setting and the staff and the parents are given extensive information about the setting and the EYFS. Parents are given a ‘Come and have fun’ booklet to share with their child, this contains photographs of all the staff, the environment and the exciting activities on offer.

Parents are asked to complete an ‘all about me’ booklet giving the staff information about the child to help the transition and future planning. We have an ‘Open Door’ policy and parents are welcome to ‘pop in’ at any time or contact us by phone if they want any information about their child.

Parents are also given a ‘Healthy Lunch Box’ leaflet and we have a Healthy Eating policy. Children are given lots of praise and encouragement and are given stickers to promote confidence.

We allow the child to settle in and during this time parents are encouraged to share treasure boxes and PSE books at home. Staff continually talk with the parents informally on a regular basis. Children may bring in a comforter to help them settle. We offer short sessions if necessary. If a child has requirements that are not available we will make any reasonable adjustments necessary to accommodate them.

If a child attends another setting we will share information, and endeavour to attend the setting to meet the child’s key person. We have a transition policy. Children are prepared for their transition to reception class or other Early Year’s settings in a variety of ways. We encourage independence within our setting to make the transition to school easier, e.g. putting on their own coats, shoes, dealing with their own personal hygiene etc. Staff from other settings or schools are invited to come and meet the child in our setting, when we share the child’s learning journey with them and generally have a chat. We complete a transition document which is given to the new setting giving information about the child, their developmental tracker, information or comments from the parents. This is then signed by the parents. We encourage the children to wear their school uniform to pre-school prior to their transition and offer a variety of activities and stories to support their transition.

Staff Training

All staff are mature and very experienced in childcare. Our deputy manager/owner is our SENCO and has over 20 years experience, the deputy SENCO has over 18 years.

SENCO Training:

Attends regular cluster meetings

Working with children on the Autistic Spectrum

Supporting Speech Language and Communication Level 2

Preparing for Ofsted

Planning for Learning in the Foundation Stage

Foundation training in writing skills and physical development

Equality and Diversity

ENCO training

Autism IDP in house

Behaviour IDP in house

Speech and Language IDP in house

Including Children SENCO

Behaviour Management

Social Emotional Development

Level 2 Safeguarding Children

Empathy Doll training

Interactions

Including Children with SEN

FEYE Assessment and Tracking

SEND Reform Updates and workshop

In house training: Down’s Syndrome Support

Supporting children with communication difficulties – in house

Working with under 3’s

Channel General Awareness

Support the Learning and Development of Boys

Equality in the Early Years

Prevent Duty and British Values

Early Language Development Programme

Tonic Clonic Seizures

SEN Pathway training

Deputy SENCO Training:

Attends regular cluster meetings

Developing Outdoor Curriculum

Child Protection Awareness

Including Children with SEN in the Early Years

Developing creativity in the Foundation Stage

Using Observations and Assessments to support Children’s learning

Linking sounds and letters

Working together with Parents

Meeting individual needs in the Autism Spectrum

Sharing concerns – working with parents

Including all children – Information sharing

Role of the key person

Listening to children

Developing quality through peer observation

Enabling boys

Revised EYFS

Level 2 Safeguarding Children

In house training: Down’s Syndrome

Supporting children with communication difficulties

Channel Awareness

British Values and Prevent Duty

Communication and Language

Tonic Clonic Seizures

All staff have Early Years Paediatric First Aid training. Six staff are trained to level 3 and one staff member is level 2. All staff apart from the administrator have completed their Common Assessment Framework and Continuum of Need course. All staff have access to training documentation and regularly attend training courses as and when they are relevant and needed i.e. Safeguarding, Preparing for Ofsted Inspection and self evaluation, Extended thinking, Quality provision for 2 year olds, and Business talk time. All staff are able to use simple Makaton sign language. The SENCO works closely with the SEN Inclusion Teacher and other relevant outside agencies.

Further Information

All staff members have a role in the education of all children within the setting. We have an open door policy and you are more than welcome at any time, we are available for any discussions at drop off or pick up times. If you want a more formal meeting or a particular staff member is unavailable we will make an appointment for a future date at your convenience.

All staff can be contacted by phone 01772 690294, by email info@inskip-preschool.com or by notes being left at reception or in the child’s drawer and sharing information books with another provider.